29 June 2018 - SOME FACTS ABOUT THE EDIBLE FROG

The Edible Frog
is a species
of Frog
found across Europe
that is also known as the Common Water Frog
and the Green Frog.
The Edible Frog
is a fertile hybrid of two other European Frogs,
the Pool
Frog and the Marsh
Frog, that bred when populations where isolated close to one another
during the ice ages. The scientific name of the Edible Frog
means both "mud" and "guardian" as they are known to never
stray far from water, almost guarding the muddy banks. It was first described
in 1758 and has adopted its name as the "edible" Frog
due to the fact that they are now seen as a culinary delicacy in France,
particularly the legs.

The Edible Frog
is a medium sized Frog
growing to around 9cm in length. Females tend to be larger than males and have
been known to get up to 12 cm long. Adult Edible Frogs
are mainly green in colour
with light patches of brown on their backs, yellow eyes and a white underside,
covered in a few dark spots. There are number of distinct differences between
males and females including the fact that males become much lighter (and
greener) during the mating season. Male Edible Frogs
also have vocal sacs on the outside of their cheeks and extra skin patches on
their feet, both of which are primarily for mating.

The Edible Frog
is found across central Europe
and as far north as Germany
and Estonia.
Southern populations of the Edible Frog
are found from Croatia,
through northern Italy
and into the south of France.
There are also isolated populations in Sweden
and Bulgaria
which are thought to have migrated from the countries nearby. Edible Frogs
spend all of their time either in or very close to water and are most commonly
found in calmer parts of rivers and streams, where there is a slow but constant
flow of fresh water. They are said to prefer more open areas and can also be
commonly spotted around lakes, ponds and marshes.

Unlike many other species
of Frog,
the Edible Frog
is a diurnalanimal
and is therefore most active during the day. This is when Edible Frogs
are most likely to move away from the water, so that they can find a better
supply of food or move to a different part of the water if need be. The Edible Frog
is a relatively solitary animal
so there is less competition for food but males are often seen sitting together
in groups
during the breeding season when they are trying to out-compete each other for a
mate. Edible Frogs
spend a large portion of their time sitting motionless on the muddy banks where
they are perfectly camouflaged by their skin colour.
They are also known to move onto land to hibernate during the colder winter
months.

The breeding season for Edible Frogs
begins during March and generally lasts for a couple of months. Males sing by
drawing air in and out of their vocal sacs to produce the highest-pitched sound
possible, as the female is most attracted to the loudest Frog.
After courting her in a lake, pond or swamp, the male lets the female lay up to
10,000 eggs in a sticky mass into the water, before he fertilises them.
Tadpoles can be as small as 0.5cm long when they hatch and are a grey/brown colour,
then growing up to 7cm in length before metamorphoses occurs, and they leave
the water as 2cm long young Frogs.
Edible Frogs
reach sexual maturity at the age of two and can live until they are 15 years
old.

Adult Edible Frogs
are carnivorous animals,
surviving only by eating other animals.
The tadpoles however, mainly eat vegetation although are known to supplement
their diet
with aquatic micro-organisms on occasion. Small invertebrates
such as Insects,
Spiders, Moths
and Flies make up the majority of their diet
along with larger aquatic animals
like Fish,
Newts
and other Frogs,
and even small Birds.
Edible Frogs
hunt for their food during the day and can be seen catching food in ponds, and
even on land. There are even reports of Edible Frogs
venturing up to 500 meters away from water in their quest for nutrition.

Edible Frogs
remain very still when they are guarding the muddy banks, and this along with
their camouflage,
makes them very difficult for predators
to spot. Their eyes are positioned near the top of their heads meaning they can
also see danger coming whilst their body is mainly hidden. Snakes,
Owls and water-dwelling Birds
are the main predators
of the Edible Frog,
along with Humans
who commonly eat them. Edible Frogs
will jump into the water and hide if they sense approaching danger, and will
make a loud screeching sound if caught. Edible Frog
populations are also under threat from habitat
destruction mainly caused by deforestation and water pollution.

The Edible Frog
is one of the few animals
in the world that is a fertile mix of two different species,
as although similar but genetically different species
are known to mate, it is very rare that their offspring will be able to breed.
The kl. of the
Edible Frog's scientific name indicates that the species
is made up of chromosomes that have been stolen from other species.
The esculentus
part of the Edible Frog's scientific name is Latin for edible as this species
is one of the most commonly eaten Frogspecies
in the world.

As its name suggests, the Edible Frog
is used as a food source by people across the continent, although they are most
commonly eaten in France
where Frog's legs are often served as a national dish. The reason for Humans
favouring this Frog
over others is not really known but it may have something to do with their
abundance. However, despite still being one of the most common Frogs
in Europe,
the Edible Frog
is under threat across much of its natural range as more land is tampered with.
Due to their permeable skin, they are also particularly susceptible to water
pollution and will migrate from areas where the water quality has declined.

Today, the Edible Frog
is listed as a species
that is of Least
Concern from extinction in the near future, but populations in certain
areas are declining. They are particularly adaptable animals
and have been able to inhabit man-made bodies of water. Providing however, that
the water quality is good, there is an ample supply of food and little
competition for it from other species.

Clancy's comment: There ya go. I hope you found this interesting. Bon appetit.